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Re-installing Windows9x

Windows98 - Differences

The procedures for Win98 are a little different to those for Win95.
Please read all the notes below before deciding what action is most appropriate to your setup.

The Main Differences
  • The Boot Menu can be brought up in Win98 by pressing the Ctrl key during the general boot sequence. This saves having to pounce on F8 at the right moment, though this is still possible.
  • If Upgrading from Windows 3.11 or Win95 to Win98, the verification process demands all the Windows 3.11 / Win95 installation floppies, not just Disk 1.
  • If you have Win95 and wish to perform a "clean" Win98 install (ie, from scratch, not as an Upgrade) you need the OEM version of the CD (the one supplied with a new computer). You can use a Win95 Boot Disk to format the hard drive, access the CD-ROM drive and launch the Win98 CD's Setup program. This must be done to an empty (reformatted) drive C: as the Win98 installation will search for traces of an existing Operating System on the hard disk. The Win95 floppy should then be stowed away; do not use it as a Boot Disk with Win98 or there will be a version conflict.
  • Before upgrading to or installing Win98, any scanner and its associated TWAIN software (including any previously installed by Win98) should be removed. Upgraded Win98-compatible TWAIN drivers should be obtained from the manufacturer before re-installing a scanner, camera etc.
  • Indeed, the main problems likely to be encountered when upgrading to Win98 are hardware-related, despite the much larger number of drivers on the Win98 CD. The Win98SE (Second Edition) CD has more, better drivers. Getting Win98 upgrades from manufacturers' websites in advance where available is a good idea for all hardware.
  • When installed as an Upgrade, Win98 installs its own drivers, which can be a problem with almost any hardware. TWAIN drivers are often not updated by manufacturers. If this is the case with your device use Win98's Version Conflict Manager.
    1. Go to Accessories - System Tools - System Information.
    2. From the SysInfo menu choose Tools - Version Conflict Manager.
    3. Normally the correct TWAIN driver will have a slightly higher number than the Win98 one.
    4. Click to replace the installed driver with the right one. You should find your device now works.
    This only works immediately after installing as an Upgrade. The Version Conflict Manager does not keep track of later changes.
  • The Win95 Refresh / Re-install / Verify procedures should not be applied to Win98. Win98 has its own inbuilt System File Checker, which tracks changes to the original install and enables you to restore original files if they have become corrupted or overwritten by other software.
  • The Win98 'Resource Kit' Help files are larger and more complex than the Win95 ones. To install the files insert the CD and Browse to:   \Tools\reskit\setup.exe   and click on it. There is a 'Readme.doc' in the same folder. You will end up with two extra 'Help' alternatives - Resource Kit Tools Help & Resource Kit Books Online. You will also get the Win98 Management Tools Console - use it with caution!

Re-installing Win98
Re-installing Windows98 can be done rather more easily than Windows95. Insert your Win98 Boot Disk and re-boot. When it pauses, choose option 1 (CD-ROM Support). At the A:\> prompt change to drive C:
    c:      [Enter].   Insert the Win98 CD and type:
    F:\Setup    [Enter] (assuming your CD-drive is F:).
Win98 will re-install itself, and preserve the settings for programs, while reloading all Windows drivers and re-detecting all hardware. (The Key Code is required for this re-install).

It may not be necessary to go through this full re-install. See below for the System File Checker, which can replace damaged or missing files.

Restoring Missing, Damaged or Changed Win98 Files
The Windows 98 System File Checker may enable you to cure a particular fault without resorting to a full re-install. Before using it ensure as many running programs as possible are shut down.

In the Run window from the Start Menu enter   sfc   and press Enter.   This brings up the System File Checker. Before running it, go into the Settings and select the options for what you wish to do. Always have the option to Backup selected. And have your Win98 CD handy!

The main decisions you will need to make concern changed files. Look at the date and version numbers given. If the version and date are later, either err on the side of caution and go for "Ignore" or, if reasonably sure the change is OK choose "Update Verification". If you have been using the Windows Update online facility you will find quite a lot of changed files. Choose "Restore Original" if you have reason to suppose the changes may not be legitimate - especially if your Anti-Virus program has found an infected file and deleted it.

Starting with the integration of Internet Explorer 4 into Windows98, along with the 'Active Desktop', a huge number of patches and updates were issued. Many users found Win98 to be distinctly unstable. Most problems with instability can be put down to the Active Desktop, caused by other programs' Setup routines overwriting Internet Explorer and other system files with their own. These may have higher version numbers, but that is not a reliable guide, as they can be incompatible with the system. Where there is a notable instability, it is usually better to re-install and replace all files, then deal with specific malfunctions as they arise.   Hence also the need to add programs, updates etc slowly and try them out after a complete Re-install.   See also the Notes about File Versions, Anti-Virus Programs and DirectX on Page 1.
 

The Win98 Boot Disk
The Startup Boot Disk created by Win98 includes both Mscdex.exe, and a general-purpose ATAPI CD-ROM driver, which should provide access to most CD drives. The Win98 Boot Disk pauses and offers to load the files required for CD access, should you need them. If not, it just carries on as normal. It is, however, unbelievably slooowww ...

Re-installing Windows98 can be done by booting up with the Win98 Startup Disk as it stands. When it pauses, choose option 1 (CD-ROM Support). At the A:\> prompt change to drive C:
    c:    [Enter] . Insert the Win98 CD and type:
    F:\Setup    [Enter] (assuming your CD-drive is F:). Win98 will re-install itself, and preserve the settings for programs, while reloading all Windows drivers and re-detecting all hardware. (The Key Code is required for this re-install).

Although the Win98-created Boot Disk is superior to the Win95 one, it is quite possible to use the suggestions in this Guide to create one which is simpler and faster loading. For one thing it lacks a Mouse driver. You will have to delete the Drvspace.bin file (assuming you don't have a compressed drive) to fit it on. Either play around with a copy of the Win98 Startup disk, or create a fresh one, as suggested below. The disk created by Win98 uses a lot of DOS commands and calls; be sure you understand exactly what you are doing before editing these. As always, test your version before relying upon it!

A Simpler, Faster Boot Disk
This is essentially the same as the Win95 Boot Disk described in this Guide. It simply involves collecting together some files, sticking them on a freshly formatted, blank floppy and creating the right Config.sys and Autoexec.bat files. You must use Win98 files, not old ones from Win95.
This version does not create a RAMdrive, but does load a DOS mode CD-ROM and Mouse device drivers. It does not offer quite as many DOS files to fix things, but unless you are familiar with DOS this will make little difference. If you need a file which the Win98 disk expands into the RAMdrive, you can of course re-boot and use the Win98 Startup floppy instead.
  1. In Explorer create a folder somewhere convenient called " 98Boot " or similar.
  2. In the new folder create 2 new Text Files. Name them " Config.sys " and " Autoexec.bat ". They will be empty initially.
  3. Copy into this '98Boot' folder the following files:
From the Win98 Startup floppy: From C:\, C:\Windows, C:\Windows\Command:
  • IO.SYS
  • MSDOS.SYS
    Msdos.sys must be from the floppy, not your root C:\ folder.
  • ATTRIB.EXE
  • COMMAND.COM
  • COUNTRY.SYS
  • DISPLAY.SYS
  • EDIT.COM
  • EGA.CPI
  • EMM386.EXE
  • EXTRACT.EXE
  • FDISK.EXE
  • FORMAT.COM
  • HIMEM.SYS
  • KEYB.COM
  • KEYBOARD.SYS
  • MEM.EXE
  • REGEDIT.EXE
  • SCANDISK.EXE
  • SCANDISK.INI
  • SETVER.EXE
  • SYS.COM
  • XCOPY.EXE
Plus:
  • MOUSE.COM or MOUSE.EXE and MOUSEDRV.INI if you have one.
  • ATAPI.SYS or whatever CD-ROM driver is applicable to your setup.
Now finish the settings in the   Config.sys  and  Autoexec.bat   files.
See A:\Config.sys & A:\Autoexec.bat for information for this.
You can use the same suggested wordings for both Win95 and Win98 Boot Disks,
but not the same files.
 Finally, take a blank floppy and copy all the files in the '98boot' folder to the disk. There will not be much space left. Engage the Write-protect tab on the case, and label it.   Test It!   Only delete the '98Boot' folder when sure it works. You should find it much faster-loading than the Win98 version.

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